Good Arm Workouts Without Weights

Reviewed By: Pramod Kerkar, MD, FFARCSI

A toned body is a desire that every single person in this world wants. Although they exercise extensively, lift weight and take the help of different health equipment to tone the body up, it does not always cater to the individual muscle toning. The result is the overall weight reduces, but the muscles are not properly toned. For getting this outcome, particular exercises need to be done.

Along with a good weight, toned thighs and a flat belly, it is equally important that your arms too are toned. Commonly, dumbbells and weights are used to shape up and tone up the arms. However, after a tiring day, visiting the gym is not feasible for everyone so trying good arm workouts without weights is the best idea.

The Trend with Arms

Men desire for bigger, grown and developed arms, while women look for slender, toned and shaped arms. However, getting a toned arm muscle takes you to spend a lot more time under the iron. Gym owners know this and hence, you will find a number of gym equipment that are specifically designed to tone and shape your arms. Yet, all these are not easy to do and may be not as effective for you, if you are not physically fit enough to do them extensively.

In fact, when you are travelling, it is not possible to workout at a gym. In that case, some home exercises are more useful. These exercises need to be done properly, paying attention to the different muscle sets in the arms. The two major arm sets are biceps and triceps. The biceps are the front muscles in the arm. These are smaller muscle sets and easier to grow. The triceps, however, are larger muscle sets at the back. This muscle is often neglected by many. Both the biceps and triceps need equal attention to make sure that a proper shape is given to the muscles and that they are strong enough to pull any task.

Good Arm Workouts without Weights

Here are the most useful and simple exercises that need to be done for about a minute at a stretch.

Half Circle Arm Rotations

This simple exercise that everyone practices in the physical education class is quite useful workout in building strength of the arms without weights. Half circle moves can effectively work out your arm muscles without weights. You need to stand with your legs hip-width apart. Stretch your hands in a position that they stay parallel to the floor. Make a fist and rotate your entire arm half in the forward direction and half in the backward direction. The elbows need to be kept locked so that maximum muscle strength can be engaged.

Wall Push-Ups

Although push ups are quite difficult, the wall push ups can be adjusted and they are very useful in making your hands absolutely toned and shaped. Place your hands on the wall shoulder width apart and your face 6 inches away from the wall. Start pushing up with your hands. Inhale as you push down towards the wall and exhale as you push away from the wall. If this is difficult for you, you can adjust your feet.

Weight-free Rows

This one is originally done with dumbbells; however, making a fist with your hands is a useful good alternative arm workout without weight. With a fist, your arm muscles are activated. For this one, you need to bend your elbows at the side and without unbending them; you have to pull your arms back. This should make a rowing motion. Weight free rows in one such good arm workout without weights that builds the muscles of your upper back and also the biceps ad triceps.

This can be done sitting on the chairs; however, it is done better while sitting on the floor. You need to sit on the floor by folding your knees. The feet and fingers must face forward. Tuck-in the glutes and tighten your abs to lift up the pelvis in a position of a reversed table. Bend your arms and lower the body, with activated triceps. While reaching the floor, make sure that the muscles are active.

X Jumps

This exercise or workout without weights is complete for cardiac health, abs and legs as well as for arms. In this exercise, you need to stand in a position that your feet and legs are stretched apart and your arms too are stretched. You need to jump and at the same time, stretch your arms and legs in a position that they form an X shape. This can be quite difficult at the beginning, but you need to try and jump as many times as you can.

Triceps Extension Exercise

This is a very important exercise as the triceps require a clear isolation from the rest of the muscles. In this exercise, you need to keep your glutes and abs straight to form a straight line with your body, facing towards the surface. Stretch your arms 6 inches apart and lower your body forward. The only part of your body that will bend is the elbow. Use your triceps to extend back. Triceps extension exercise is a good arm workout without weights.

Inverted Row Workout for Developing Biceps without Weight

Inverted row is a good arm workout without weights to develop your biceps. For doing it, you need to take the help of a table or chair and lie under it. While you lie down on the floor, you need to grab hold of the edge of the table or chair and pull yourself up, leaving off the ground. Keep your body in a complete straight line and contract your abs. Hold this position and try to touch your chest to the table or chair edge surface. Slowly lower yourself.

Plank

This is a perfect exercise for those, who have a flabby arm. To tone them up, you need to lie down on the floor with your face facing the floor as you would do in a push up. However, in this case, you do not have to make the push ups; rather simply hold the position for about 30 seconds. Just keep in mind that the wrist is positioned right under the shoulders.

Handstands and Headstands

This is not only a very useful exercise to maintain good upper-arm strength but is also a good arm workout without weight. The body has to be positioned in an upside-down position and that too with a proper alignment. Those, who are novice with this exercise, can take the assistance of the wall at the beginning. Crouch down your body in front of a wall in such a way that the head touches the surface of the wall. Spread your hands with a shoulder width space. The head must be placed between the elbows. Slowly, one after the other, you need to place your legs against the wall, unless both of them lie attached to the wall. Now, place the entire pressure on your hands, making sure that the top of your head has no contact with the below surface. For Headstand, your head should be grounded; whereas for handstand, you need to straighten your hand and the entire body weight should be on the hands while the head would be above ground.

Pull Ups and Chin Ups to Workout the Arms without Weights

In this exercise, you need to sling a towel against a strong bar or rod. Now hold the two ends of the towel with your two hands and pull yourself until your chin reaches your hands. Now slowly pull yourself down to the starting position and then repeat the process.

You can do the same variation without the requirement of the towel. Just grab hold of the rod with your palms. Make sure that the rod is at a height from the floor, so that your hands need to be reached out to hold them and there must also be enough space above, so that you can pull yourself. The fist can face each other or even towards you. Now you need to pull yourself towards the rod as much as you can. Hold the position for a few moments there and then get back to the initial position and repeat this process.

Lie on the floor in a push up position. Now stretch your hands in a shoulder width. Now raise your hip up to make a straight line with your arms, spine and also at the same time, lift your left leg. This will make an inverted V position from your hips and one leg will be extended up. Now return to the starting position and repeat process with the other leg. The pull with the leg will be useful for the muscle in the shoulders.

For Upward facing dog pose, from the same above posture try to lift your head up and look up straight.

Biceps Workout Without Weights Using Resistance Band

Using resistance band can be a good arm workout without weights. Grab hold of the two ends of a resistance band. To anchor the band, put the centre of the band under your feet. The bands should be slack in this position, so that the hands hang by your hips. Now bend the elbows upwards and pull the band, so that the hands reach straight up to the shoulders. Now slowly return to the starting position and repeat. This is a good arm workout without weights.

Shaping your Arms Quickly Without Weights

While performing these exercises, the first thing that you need to keep in mind is that your focus is to maintain the proper form. The form must not be compromised. Secondly, you must be careful about your reps or repetitions. You should increase your reps gradually and slowly and not at once.

If your reps are 10 to 12, try and do the exercise for at least 10 times, but not more than 12 times.

Before starting the training or exercise, you need to do a little light cardio exercises such as jogging, jumping, walking, so that your muscles are warmed up for further exercise.

Make a planned exercise regime in which you need to focus on the bicep and triceps building at once. Then you must focus on isolating the triceps.

For every form and exercise, you need to hold the position for at least a few seconds and gradually increase the time.

The strength training timing should be increased up to 10 to 15 minutes at a stretch.

Conclusion

It takes commitment and time to grow, tone and shape your arm muscles without any equipment or weight. However, by maintaining this regime and doing these exercises for three to four times a week, you can be ensured that your arms would stay in the toned look for long.